Women's Champions League highlights, round-up: Ajax, Paris Saint-Germain, Häcken go through
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
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On a night of dramatic deciders, Ajax, Paris Saint-Germain and Häcken completed the quarter-final line-up.
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Ajax, Paris Saint-Germain and Häcken completed the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final line-up on Tuesday as a dramatic night of group deciders ended in heartbreak for Bayern München, Roma and Paris FC.
UEFA.com rounds up all the action.
Quarter-finalists
Group winners: Barcelona (holders), Chelsea, Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain
Group runners-up: Ajax, Benfica, Brann, Häcken
Click on any scoreline to look back at all the action as it happened and watch highlights.
Group C
Bayern 2-2 Paris Saint-Germain
Both of these teams were aiming to reach a sixth straight quarter-final, but only Paris will be in the knockout phase, securing first place in a game of twists and turns. Giulia Gwinn headed in Glódís Viggósdóttir's flick to put Bayern in front at half-time on a night when only victory would ensure progress for the home team.
Tabitha Chawinga pounced on a defensive slip with 17 minutes to go to level, and send Bayern down to provisional third place, only for Sydney Lohmann to almost immediately head in a Klara Bühl cross and put them straight back into first.
With Ajax going ahead, now Paris needed to score again, and with two minutes left Sandy Baltimore's drive was turned into her own net by Bayern's Georgia Stanway. Bayern now pushed frantically, and Jovana Damnjanović had an effort ruled out for offside just before time ran out.
Ajax 2-1 Roma
A dramatic late own goal from Roma's Zara Kramžar was enough to make Ajax the first quarter-finalists from the Netherlands since 2006/07. Roma needed a win for any chance of progress and captain Elisa Bertoli headed her team into the lead after meeting Manuela Giugliano's teasing free-kick.
On the stroke of half-time, however, Tiny Hoekstra equalised for the hosts with an arrowed effort into the bottom corner. Both sides had their chances to get a winner, but Sherida Spitse's 84th-minute corner was headed into her own net by Kramžar to settle a thrilling contest and ensure Ajax's progress regardless of the result in Munich.
Group D
Real Madrid 0-1 Häcken
Häcken are through to their first quarter-final since 2012/13, when they were still known as Göteborg FC, after victory at already-eliminated Madrid.
The breakthrough came just past the hour mark, Monica Jusu Bah clipping in a fine cross from the byline that Rosa Kafaji met with a thumping header, having also scored when Häcken beat Madrid 2-1 on Matchday 2.
Paris FC 0-4 Chelsea
PFC began the night knowing victory against the confirmed group winners, combined with Häcken dropping points, would take them through. Instead, a clinical Chelsea side finished their Group D campaign unbeaten with a comfortable away win.
In a rotated Chelsea XI, Fran Kirby dented home hopes by nodding in at the back post from a Jelena Čanković cross after ten minutes. Mia Fishel headed in her first Champions League goal before half-time, courtesy of another Čanković cross, and after the break Guro Reiten took advantage of hesitant defending to tap in a third. Maren Mjelde rounded off the scoring by converting from a corner late on.
Wednesday's matches
Group A
Benfica vs Barcelona (21:00), Frankfurt vs Rosengård (21:00)
Group B
Lyon vs Slavia Praha (18:45), Brann vs St. Pölten (18:45)
All times CET